The protective effects of thymoquinone on lung damage developed by cigarette smoke

This study aims to investigate the preventive and curative effects of TQ on lung damage created by cigarette smoke on rats. Fifty adult male Wistar albino rats were included in this study. Thirty subjects were randomized to exposure to tobacco smoke every day for 3 months. Intraperitoneal(IP) TQ was administered every day to ten subjects to investigate the protective effects of TQ, and on the last 21 days to ten subjects to investigate the curative effect. Ten subjects received IP saline for last 21 days. Ten subjects were enrolled as control group. Ten controls received IP TQ for last 10 days. Close circuit cage apparatus was instructed to achieve appropriate cigarette smoke exposure to rats and CO levels were monitored. TUNEL procedure was used to demonstrate the apoptosis. IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β and MMP-9 levels in lung tissues were detected with ELISA. IL-1β and IL-8 levels were elevated in the group exposed to cigarette smoke compared with control group. IL-8 levels were decreased in the group, which received only TQ, compared with control group indicating the anti-inflammatory effect of TQ, but this difference was not statistically significant. Finally apoptotic index tend to decrease in the group, which received TQ subsequently for the purpose of treatment, compared with cigarette smoke group. This is the first study to demonstrate the apoptosis reducing and curative effect of TQ on the inflammation constituted by cigarette smoke in experimental COPD model.
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Mechanisms of Lung Injury and Repair Source Type: research